Discovering network information available via wireless networks

ABSTRACT

Network information may be discoverable without requiring a connection to that network. For example, Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) may allow a device to discover information about a network prior to the device associating with that network. In other words, ANQP allows a network terminal to request additional network information prior to establishing network capability. The additional network information that may be discoverable includes network latency, cellular capabilities, hotspot capabilities, mobility capabilities, neighbor reports, station identification, and multiple hotspot session identification.

BACKGROUND

Wireless network deployments, such as wireless local area networks(“WLANs”), allow wireless terminals to access network and Internetservices when within proximity of wireless communication signals ofthose wireless networks. Different networks provide different networkinformation for wireless clients. Such network information may includeaccess to particular subscription service provider (“SSP”) networks(“SSPN”), roaming agreements to allow connections from wireless clientsassociated with different SSPs, authentication capabilities to enablesecure communications, support for emergency services, support forparticular types of multi-media access (e.g., audio and/or videostreaming, downloading, etc.), or support for other types of networkservices. However, the network information provided may only be providedupon a connection or association with that network. Depending on thenetwork information received, a device may need to disconnect ordisassociate with that network and pursue a different network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a communication network;

FIG. 2 illustrates a communication layer architecture;

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative communication network;

FIG. 4 illustrates network information;

FIG. 5 illustrates a wireless terminal;

FIG. 6 illustrates an access point;

FIG. 7 illustrates a table of IEEE 802.11 ANQP information identifiers;

FIG. 8 illustrates a table of Hotspot ANQP element subtype definitions;and

FIG. 9 illustrates network communications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed systems and methods retrieve discovery information about anetwork prior to association with that network. This pre-associationcommunication may be retrieved through a wireless protocol, such asAccess Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”), which allows a wireless deviceto retrieve information about a network prior to associating with thatnetwork. Communications prior to network association may be referred todiscovery communications or communications in a pre-associated state.ANQP may allow a device to retrieve additional network information priorto establishing network capability (i.e., prior to the exchange of anyauthentication parameters between the device and the network as wellprior to the establishment of a recognized session between the deviceand the network). The additional network information that may bediscoverable prior to network association includes, for example, networklatency, cellular capabilities, hotspot capabilities, mobilitycapabilities, neighbor reports, station identification, and multiplehotspot session identification together with other similar parametersproviding network information. The network information that may bediscovered prior to network association is further described withrespect to FIG. 4.

Wireless devices that communicate prior to network association mayinclude mobile communication devices, mobile computing devices, or anyother device capable of communicating wirelessly with a wirelessnetwork. Such devices may also be referred to as terminals, wirelessterminals, stations (“STA”) or user equipment, and may also includemobile smart phones (e.g., a BlackBerry® smart phone or BlackBerry®Playbook), wireless personal digital assistants (“PDA”), machine tomachine equipment, equipment within a smart grid (“SmartGrid”),equipment within a mesh network (an ad-hoc or peer network),laptop/notebook/netbook computers with wireless adapters, etc.

Some devices may discover information about the external networks (e.g.,subscription service provider networks (“SSPNs”)) may include a wirelesslocal area network (“WLAN”). The network discovery and connectivity in aWLAN may occur through standards that define access, control andcommunications in networks, such as the communication standard known asIEEE® (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11,which, among other things, defines an amendment entitled “interworkingwith external networks.” Alternatively, the network discovery andconnectivity may be subject to other parts of the IEEE 802.11 standardand other wireless communication standards including WLAN standardsincluding any IEEE® 802.xx standard (e.g. IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, IEEE802.19, IEEE 802.20, and IEEE 802.22), personal area network standards,wide area network standards, or cellular communication standards.

One network shown below is a WLAN. Alternatively, the devices maydiscover information about other networks through other protocols andarchitectures, including a cellular telephone network or a WiMaxnetwork. The network may comprise a publicly accessible network, such asthe Internet, a private network, such as an intranet, or combinationsthereof, and may utilize a variety of networking protocols now availableor later developed including, but not limited to TCP/IP based networkingprotocols. The networks may include any communication method or employany form of machine-readable media for communicating information fromone device to another.

The discovery of network information may be implemented in manyenvironments providing WLAN access for network connectivity or in WLANaccess locations or environments in which it may be expected that one ormore users carrying respective wireless terminals will associate with(i.e., join or connect to) and disassociate from a wireless network,access point, or WLAN as they enter and exit the WLAN access locationsor environments. Some WLAN locations or environments may be known as“hotspots” in reference to a location or environment that is withincommunication range of WLAN signals. WLAN locations or environments mayinclude coffee shops, retail stores, home locations (e.g. homes andapartments), educational facilities, office environments, airports,public transportation stations and vehicles, hotels, etc. Such WLANs areoften implemented as access networks that provide access to publiclyaccessible networks and may be associated with, or support access to,external networks (or WLAN-supported networks) owned and/or operated bysubscription-based service providers. For example, an external networkcan be owned and/or operated by an Internet-access service provider or atelecommunications carrier/service provider that providessubscription-based Internet access for a fee (e.g., a monthly fee). Insome systems, a subscriber/user may subscribe to such a service can usewireless network access and/or Internet-access services based on such asubscription when the subscriber is in communication proximity of theWLAN with an appropriate wireless terminal. In some instances, differentWLANs may provide access to different types of network information. Forexample, some WLANs may provide access to particular subscriptionservice provider networks, and some WLANs may support roaming agreementsto allow connections from wireless terminals associated with differentSSPs.

During some network discovery processes a wireless terminal may transmita query for certain network information from the wireless local areanetwork (“WLAN”). The terminal may obtain network information madeavailable by WLANs to determine, based on the network information,whether to continue with a connection process to associate with thatnetwork. In accordance with the embodiments described herein, wirelessterminals may request network information from WLANs using an AccessNetwork Query Protocol (“ANQP”). ANQP supports information retrievalfrom an Advertisement Server that supports a Generic AdvertisementService (“GAS”). ANQP and GAS are defined in IEEE® 802.11u™, the entiredisclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

Generic Advertisement Service (“GAS”) may serve as a transportmechanism, at layer-2 (see e.g. FIG. 2), for an advertisement protocol.The advertisement protocol may connect the wireless terminal to one ofseveral interworked servers. The advertisement protocol allows thetransmission of frames between a wireless terminal device and a serverin the network prior to network connectivity. For example, GAS providessupport for network selection by a wireless terminal as well as forcommunication between the wireless terminal and other informationresources in the network before the wireless terminal associates with aWLAN. The wireless terminal may be connected to a layer-2 radio service,without exchanging any authentication parameters or without having arecognized session (because no session keys are established and nointernet protocol address is assigned). When in compliance with the IEEE802.11 standard, no data traffic is allowed in this state.

Other layer-2 transport mechanisms or even authentication mechanisms maybe used. For example, the Extensible Authentication Protocol (“EAP”) maybe used to carry the advertisement protocol. The advertisement protocolinformation would be encapsulated within a suitable EAP-TLV (type lengthvalue) method frame (or alternative EAP method frame) and transported bythe EAP. Use of secure credentials exchanged during the EAP transactionswould also provide a level of security for any information carriedwithin the advertisement protocol. For example, if EAP-SIM (or EAP-AKA)were to be the authentication protocol, any advertisement protocolinformation encapsulated (i.e. securely carried) within a suitableEAP-TLV frame during the same EAP transaction may also be protected bythe SIM credentials.

Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) is an advertisement protocol andoperates as a query and response protocol used by a wireless terminal todiscover a range of information from a server including accessibleroaming partners internet protocol address type availability, and othermetadata useful in the wireless terminal's network selection process.ANQP is capable of discovering information about hotspots or wirelessnetworks, prior to the wireless terminal establishing networkconnectivity and associating with that network. In addition to beingdefined in IEEE® 802.11u, additional ANQP messages may alternatively oradditionally be defined in the Wi-Fi Alliance (“WFA”) Hotspot 2.0specifications. These ANQP extensions within the WFA Hotspot 2.0specifications may be referred to as Hotspot (“HS”) 2.0 ANQP elements.Alternatively, other advertisement protocols (e.g., Registered LocationQuery Protocol “RLQP” as defined in IEEE® 802.11af) may also be used.ANQP provides one embodiment for communication with a WLAN at thediscovery stage without requiring an association with the network.Network information that is communicated prior to network association(or at the discovery stage) is discussed below. In alternativeembodiments, other layer-2 transport mechanisms or even authenticationmechanisms such as the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) could beused to carry the ANQP messages. The ANQP message would be encapsulatedwithin a suitable EAP-TLV method frame (or alternative EAP method frame)and transported by the EAP.

A network discovery exchange may involve a requesting wireless terminalto query another wireless terminal (e.g., a WLAN access point (“AP”))for network information. A WLAN AP (also referred to simply as an AP) isan entity that contains one station and provides access to distributionservices via a wireless medium for associated stations. The queried orreceiving terminal (e.g., an AP) may respond to the received query withthe requested information in a response. The queried or receivingterminal can provide the response information with or without proxyingthe query to a server in an external network (e.g., a subscriptionservice provider (“SSP”) network). For example, an external networkconnected to a queried WLAN may have certain network informationaccessible via the WLAN and of which a querying wireless terminal may bemade aware. The network discovery exchange or communications prior tonetwork association may use ANQP or other query protocols too, just asinformation exchange services may be used alternatively.

FIG. 1 illustrates a communication network 100. Network information maybe communicated during network discovery using ANQP over thecommunications network 100. The communication network 100 includes aplurality of WLAN access locations 102 a-c having respective accesspoints (“APs”) 104 a-c that provide access to respective access networks106 a-c. The APs 104 a-c are further described with respect to FIG. 6.The access network A 106 a provides access to an external network A 108a and the access network B 106 b provides access to an external networkB 108 b. Unlike the access networks A 106 a and B 106 b that do notconnect directly to the Internet 112, the access network C 110 mayconnect directly to a publicly accessible network like the Internet.Thus, the access network C 106 c may be a public network, while theaccess networks A 106 a and B 106 b may be private networks.

In one embodiment, each of the external networks A 108 a and B 108 b maybe a subscription service provider network (“SSPN”) owned or operated bydata subscription service providers, Internet subscription serviceproviders, media (e.g., audio/video) subscription service providers,wireless communications subscription service providers, or anycombination thereof. The external networks A 108 a and B 108 b areconnected to the Internet 112 and may, for example, providesubscription-based Internet access to wireless terminal devices. In someimplementations, roaming agreements between different subscriptionservice providers may enable the external networks A 108 a and B 108 bto support roaming connections for wireless terminals associated withother subscription service providers.

The WLAN access location 102 a illustrates a wireless terminal 114 inwireless range of the access point (“AP”) 104 a. The wireless terminal114 is further described with respect to FIG. 5. The AP 104 a connectswith the access network A 106 a, which may provide a direct or indirectconnection to other networks, including publicly accessible network likethe Internet 112. Prior to the wireless terminal 114 associating withthe access network A 106 a, wireless terminal 114 sends a discoveryrequest 116 to the AP 104 a. The AP 104 a may respond with a discoveryresponse 118. In alternative embodiments, the discovery request 116 mayoriginate from the AP 104 a and the discovery response 118 may be fromthe wireless terminal 114, such as with mesh, peer to peer, ad-hoc orWi-Fi direct networks. The discovery request 116 or the discoveryresponse 118 may include network information 120. The networkinformation 120, also known as discovery information, network discoveryinformation, or discovery communications, may include information aboutthe network and/or device that is communicated between the device andthe network prior to the device associating with the network. In oneembodiment, the network information 120 may be communicated using theANQP protocol. Network information 120 that may be discovered is furtherdescribed with respect to FIG. 4.

The discovery communications (request 116 and response 120) may beexchanged at a media access control (“MAC”) sub-layer of a data linklayer of the Open Systems Interconnection (“OSI”) Reference Modelwithout needing to use operations at or above an internet protocol(“IP”) layer (i.e., a network layer) and without needing to otherwiseprovide access to the IP layer while discovering network information120. Discovering network information using messages exchanged at orabove the network layer may require more processing power for a wirelessterminal than implementing processes at the MAC sub-layer. The layers inwhich the discovery communication operates are further illustrated inFIG. 2.

Each of the APs 104 a-c and the wireless terminal 114 may include anetwork adapter or network interface card that facilitates connectionsto a wireless medium. The network interface component may be referred toas a station (“STA”). Each of the access networks 106 a-c and theexternal networks 108 a-b may be associated with and/or provide accessto different network information. The network information may includediscovery information that is provided by a network prior to theassociation with that network. The network information may be set byrespective owners or operators of the networks 106 a-c, 108 a, and 108 bbased on different factors such as, for example, subscription usageplans, desired security levels, business objectives, roaming agreements,supported emergency services, supported multi-media access, availableInternet access, etc.

The wireless terminal 114 may associate with different APs (e.g., theAPs 104 a-c) based at least partially on the network information 120received regarding the available external networks. The wirelessterminal 114 may receive information from the APs when moved in range ofone of the WLAN access locations 102 a-c, respectively. The wirelessterminal 114 can dynamically discover network information available atany of the WLAN access locations 102 a-c and may process thatinformation when electing whether to associate with one of the APs 104a-c.

FIG. 2 illustrates a communication layer architecture 200. Thecommunication layer architecture 200 includes seven layers which may beimplemented in accordance with the Open Systems Interconnection (“OSI”)Reference Model. The communication layer architecture 200 includes adata link layer 202, which includes a media access control (“MAC”)sub-layer 204. Wireless terminal devices (e.g., the wireless terminal114 of FIG. 1) may provide network information or discoverycommunications 120 (e.g. the discovery request 116 and the discoveryresponse 118) with wireless access points (e.g., the wireless accesspoints 102 a-c of FIG. 1) at the MAC sub-layer 204. A wireless terminaldevice may access information from a memory or other hardware of thewireless terminal at the MAC sub-layer 204 without needing to performoperations at or above an internet protocol layer (e.g., a network layer208) and without needing to provide access to the internet protocollayer. Mobile wireless terminal devices (e.g., the wireless terminal 114of FIG. 1) that include mobile smart phones, PDA's, processor baseddevices, etc. may have relatively limited processor cycles and lessavailable electrical power than fixed-location computing devices poweredusing wired (e.g. alternating current) electricity sources. Low-levelresource operations at the MAC sub-layer require relatively fewer systemresources than user-interface-intensive and operating system intensiveoperations (e.g., web-browser operations) at an application layer.

Discovering network information available via access points using theMAC sub-layer may be used for identifying suitable connections between awireless terminal and an access point. This connection may occur withoutuser involvement or with minimal user involvement. The networkinformation 120 may indicate whether a particular network (e.g., a SSPN)would be suitable to associate with. For example, the networkinformation 120 may include WAN latency information. The wirelessterminal 114 may require a minimum latency before associating with aparticular network. Making this determination prior to an associationwith the network may substantially reduce or eliminate user frustrationbecause the user would not need to engage in any attempts to associatewith or connect to a particular access point when the access point ornetwork does not meet the particular network capability requirements ofthe wireless terminal 114, thereby substantially enhancing the userexperience. Communicating such attributes or characteristics prior to apersistent or non-continuous network connection may improve networkbandwidth while reducing user frustration. With fewer users attemptingconnections (e.g., session access) network throughput may increase forthose serviced by the network. Moreover, those users that cannot sustainor maintain a connection may avoid the challenges of initiating orestablishing such a connection.

Some communications or authentication techniques that use hypertexttransfer protocol (“HTTP”) or other internet protocol processes mayrequire establishing a connection between a wireless terminal and awireless access point at one or more of the layers between and includingthe network layer 208 and an application layer 210 of the communicationlayer architecture 200. In these applications, discovery communications120 may not require a connection or access to the network layer 208 orany layers within a protocol suite. An inclusion of a discoverycommunication 120 on the MAC sub-layer 204 may allow for a wirelessterminal to communicate with a network without associating with thenetwork.

FIG. 3 illustrates a communication network 300. AP 104 a provides WLANaccess network 1 102 a, which overlaps with WLAN access network 2 102 bwith AP 104 b. In this Figure, the wireless terminal 114 is physicallylocated within the range of both WLAN access networks 102 a, 102 b. Thewireless terminal 114 may communicate with both WLAN access networks 102a, 102 b, and may receive network discovery information 120 from bothnetworks without associating with either network. In other words, thewireless terminal 114 may receive the network discovery information 120while in a pre-associated state. As described below with respect toelement 404 of FIG. 4, the network discovery information 120 may includea neighbor report which includes information about multiple networks, sothe wireless terminal 114 in FIG. 3 may receive information about bothaccess networks 102 a, 102 b from just one of those networks.

FIG. 4 illustrates network information 120. The network information 120may include or be referred to as discovery communications 120 becausethe network information 120 that is communicated may be beforeassociating with the network (i.e. while discovering the network).Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) allows a wireless device or WLANterminal (e.g. a station (“STA”)) to request additional networkinformation prior to establishing network connectivity. ANQP may use theGeneric Advertisement Service protocol as a transport mechanism for suchqueries. Network information 120 obtained through ANQP may include:roaming relationships, network services, supported security methods(e.g., IEEE 802.1X and web-based authentication), emergency servicescapability, available Subscription Service Providers, etc. FIG. 4illustrates additional or optional network information 120 thatsupplement the existing IEEE® 802.11 or WFA Hotspot 2.0 wirelesscommunication standards.

WAN Latency

Wide Area Network (“WAN”) Latency 402 is one example of networkinformation 120 provided in network communications prior to associatingwith a network. A wireless terminal (e.g. wireless terminal 114) may notbe able to determine latency within a network (e.g. a WAN) withoutassociating with that network. The WAN latency 402 provides a mechanismfor the wireless terminal to identify a static or dynamic current and/oraverage latency periods of particular networks before selecting whetherto associate with that network. For mobile device wireless terminals,the customers may expect a high level of service on a particular network(e.g. cellular network) and may not want to associate with a WAN with ahigh latency. WLAN access locations (or WLAN hotspots) operating underthe IEEE® 802.11 standard or under the WFA Hotspot 2.0 wirelesscommunication standard may not receive WAN latency details aboutWLAN-supported networks (e.g. external networks) prior to networkassociation.

WAN latency 402 or access delay may include the current network'sround-trip delay time. The access point may measure the round trip timesto obtain a measure of the access delay which may be independent of thedevice-specific connection conditions (e.g. radio connections). The WANlatency 402 may be a near term metric that provides information on thecurrent loading of the hotspot from the access point, as well as networkconditions behind the hotspot such as from the WLAN terminal point ofview. The WAN latency 402 may be communicated within the IEEE 802.11and/or WFA Hotspot 2.0 standards. In one embodiment, WAN latency 402 maybe implemented in at least three ways: 1) WAN latency 402 may be a newIEEE 802.11 ANQP element; 2) WAN latency 402 may be a new WFA Hotspot2.0 element; or 3) WAN latency 402 may be included by modifying theexisting WFA Hotspot 2.0 WAN Metrics element. These threeimplementations will be described below.

In a first example, WAN latency 402 may be a new IEEE 802.11 ANQPelement. The WAN latency 402 may include round trip timing values fromthe access point into the network, corresponding to a current and meanvalue of the access delay in one embodiment. Table 1 illustrates how theWAN latency 402 may be organized and communicated. Alternative data,lengths, or fields may be used.

TABLE 1 IEEE 802.11 ANQP WAN Latency information format.

The information identification (“Info ID”) field may be an identifierused within the IEEE 802.11 ANQP information identifier definitions. Atable showing the network information 120 and corresponding informationID's is shown in FIG. 7. The Length field may be a 2-octet field that isequal to either 2 or 4 depending upon whether the WAN Mean Latency fieldis present or not. The WAN Current Latency field may be a 2-octet fieldwith a current round trip time value indicating the network access delaymeasured in milliseconds in one example. The round trip time may bemeasured using a suitable protocol, for example, either a ping messageor using the acknowledgement flag (“ACK”) in a Transmission ControlProtocol (TCP) message or using a hypertext protocol (“HTTP”) post/getmessage. The WAN Mean Latency field may be a 2-octet field with the meanround trip time value, averaged over a recent time period (e.g. the lastminute), indicating the network access delay measured in milliseconds inone example.

In a second example, WAN latency 402 may be a new WFA Hotspot 2.0element. As described herein WFA Hotspot, WFA Hotspot 2.0 or Hotspot mayrefer to the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0specifications. The new element in the WFA Hotspot for WAN latency 402may include round trip timing values from the access point into thenetwork, corresponding to the current and mean value of the accessdelay. In one embodiment, the format of the WAN latency element isillustrated in Table 2:

TABLE 2 WFA Hotspot WAN Latency element format.

The WAN Current Latency field may be a 2-octet field with a currentround trip time value indicating the network access delay measured inmilliseconds in one example. The round trip time may be measured using asuitable protocol, for example, either a ping message or using theacknowledgement flag (“ACK”) in a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)message or using a hypertext protocol (“HTTP”) post/get message. The WANMean Latency field may be a 2-octet field with the mean round trip timevalue, averaged over a recent time period (e.g. the last minute),indicating the network access delay measured in milliseconds in oneexample.

In a third example, WAN latency 402 may be included by modifying theexisting WFA Hotspot WAN Metrics element. The WFA Hotspot specificationdefines a WAN Metrics element which may be modified to include the WANlatency 402 information discussed above. The existing Hotspot (“HS”) WANMetrics element may be modified to include a WAN Current Latency elementand to include a WAN Mean Latency element as shown in Table 3

TABLE 3 Modified WFA Hotspot WAN Metrics Element.

The ANQP protocol may also operate in reverse communication, such thatthe access point may receive the network information 120 (e.g. the WANlatency 402) from the wireless terminal. For example, when a wirelessterminal is already connected to an external network (e.g., a wirelessservice provider's network via a cellular data link, a personal areanetwork via BLUETOOTH® link, etc.), an access point may be configured todiscover the network information 120 (e.g. the WAN latency 402)associated with that external network by querying the wireless terminal.One example would use the techniques described. The communicationsdescribed may also be used in connection with mesh networkingenvironments, peer to peer, or Wi-Fi Direct networks, to enable a firstwireless terminal to discover network information 120 (e.g. the WANlatency 402) by querying a second wireless terminal. Accordingly, thefirst wireless terminal may connect to an external network associatedwith the second wireless terminal if the associated network information120 is deemed acceptable.

Neighbor AP Report

Neighbor Access Point (“AP”) Report 404 is another example of networkinformation 120 provided in network discovery communications. TheNeighbor AP Report 404 may inform a wireless terminal about neighboringaccess points. In particular the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be used toinform a wireless terminal about neighboring access points that aremembers of either a basic service set (“BSS”) or an extended service set(“ESS”) requested in a Neighbor Report request, where the existing IEEE802.11 establishes a Neighbor Report element. In particular, the IEEE802.11§8.4.2.39 (Draft P802.11-REVmb/D9.2 Jul. 2011) defines theNeighbor Report element and is herein incorporated by reference. Thedetails or information from the Neighbor Report element may becommunicated as the Neighbor AP Report 404 during network discoverybefore associating with a network. The Neighbor AP Report 404 may betransmitted by access points to provide a wireless terminal withinformation about not only that access point, but also neighboringaccess points without requiring the wireless terminal to associate withan access point. The Neighbor AP Report 404 may also be used forstations (“STA”) that are not access points, for example, mesh, peer topeer, ad hoc or Wi-Fi Direct devices. This Neighbor AP Report 404 may beused by a wireless terminal in identifying which access point or networkto associate with.

A neighbor report request/response is sent to an access point whichreturns a neighbor report containing information about known neighboringaccess points that may be available for wireless terminals. The accesspoint may receive information about neighboring access points frommeasurements received from within either a basic service set (“BSS”) oran extended service set (“ESS”). In particular, a neighbor report mayinclude information on access points which may be used as candidates fora BSS transition. The Neighbor AP Report 404 may be provided prior toassociating with a particular access point. During network discovery adevice may receive a neighbor report about neighboring access pointswithout associating with a particular access point.

The Neighbor AP Report 404 may include a timestamp field to provide anindication of when the neighbor report was compiled. Some informationabout the area over which the neighbors are located may be included inthe Neighbor AP Report 404. The geographic information may indicatewhether the neighbor is a local hotspot or a local area network (e.g.100 meter radius) or wider. This value may be included in the NeighborAP Report 404 as a radius or coverage field.

In one embodiment, the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be implemented in atleast three ways: 1) Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a first new IEEE802.11 ANQP element; 2) Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a second new IEEE802.11 ANQP element; or 3) Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a new WFAHotspot element. These three exemplary implementations will be describedbelow. Additional embodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a first new IEEE802.11 ANQP element. In one embodiment, the Neighbor AP Report 404 maybe embodied as with the Neighbor Report element IEEE 802.11 as definedin 8.4.2.39, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference. However, the Neighbor AP Report 404 is provided duringnetwork discovery prior to network association, or in a pre-associatedstate. The format of the Neighbor AP Report 404 may include aninformation identification (“Info ID”) field that may correspond withthe Neighbor AP Report 404 element. The Info ID field may be anidentification of a particular element within the IEEE 802.11specification. In one embodiment, FIG. 7 illustrates values for the InfoID, including the Info ID for the Neighbor AP Report 404. Alternatively,the length of the neighbor report element may be variable. The length ofthe neighbor report element may also be set as its own element orvariable. The variation in length may depend on a number of neighboringaccess points that are included in the report. The neighbor reportelement may include an “element ID” and a “length” field. With anexpansion of the format, “Info ID, “Length”, “Element ID”, and “Length”may result in two octets of redundant data. Accordingly, in thisexample, format may be reduced for efficiency such that an exemplaryformat of the Neighbor AP Report 404 is:

TABLE 4 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Neighbor AP Report Format 1

In a second example, the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a first new IEEE802.11 ANQP element. In this example, the sub-fields from the NeighborReport element as shown and described in the IEEE 802.11 Specificationin §8.4.2.39 (Draft P802.11-REVmb/D9.2 Jul. 2011) may be utilized toavoid the duplication of header fields. As defined in the IEEE 802.11Specification, the Neighbor Report Element includes an informationidentifier, length, basic service set identifier (“BSSID”), BSSIDInformation, operating class, channel number, physical layer, andoptional sub elements.

TABLE 5 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Neighbor AP Report Format 2

The BSSID is the identifier of the particular basic service set (“BSS”)that is being reported. The other elements from Table 5 relate to thisparticular BSS. The BSSID Information field may be used to determineneighbor service set transition candidates.

In one embodiment, the BSSID Information field includes access pointreachability, security, key scope, capabilities, mobility domain, andhigh throughput as its subfields defined in the IEEE 802.11Specification. The reachability field indicates whether the access pointidentified by the BSSID is reachable by the wireless device or terminalthat requested the neighbor report. Security may be a bit that indicateswhether the access point identified by the BSSID supports the samesecurity provisioning as used by the wireless device in its currentassociation. In alternative embodiments, since the Neighbor AP Report404 is transmitted prior to connecting with a network, the security maybe a more detailed identification of the type of security used by theaccess point identified by the BSSID. The key scope may indicate theauthentication, and the capabilities may refer to selected capabilitiesavailable with the access point.

Referring to Table 5, the operating class may indicate a channel set ofthe access point indicated by the BSSID. The operating class combinedwith the channel number specify the channel frequency and spacing forthe access point indicated by the BSSID. The physical layer (“PHY”) typefield indicates the physical layer type of the access point indicated bythe BSSID. Optional subelements are described and illustrated in Table8-114 of the IEEE 802.11 Specification in §8.4.2.39 (DraftP802.11-REVmb/D9.2 Jul. 2011).

In a third example, the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be a new WFA Hotspotelement. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspot wirelesscommunications standards. WFA Hotspot or Hotspot may refer to the Wi-FiAlliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specifications. The newelement in the WFA Hotspot for a Neighbor AP Report 404 may include aneighbor report element as discussed above in the other two examples.The format of the Neighbor AP Report 404 may be illustrated as in Table6:

TABLE 6 WFA Hotspot Neighbor AP Report Format

Hotspot Capability

Hotspot capability 406 is another example of network information 120provided in network discovery communications. The hotspot capability 406information may be used to inform a wireless device about certainaspects from the WFA Hotspot 2.0 capabilities that are supported by aparticular access point or hotspot. The WFA Hotspot or Hotspot may referto the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0specifications. The Hotspot 2.0 specification includes a set of featuresthat may or may not be available for certain hotspots. Features fromHotspot 2.0 specification that are available in a particular hotspot areincluded in the hotspot capability 406 information that is returned bythat hotspot during discovery and before a device associates with thehotspot. Compliance with the Hotspot 2.0 specification and inclusion ofcertain features may be used in determining whether a wireless deviceshould associate with a particular network. Accordingly, the hotspotcapability 406 may be communicated during network discovery (e.g. withANQP) before associating with a network. The hotspot capability 406 maybe considered to an advertisement for a particular hotspot to advertisewhich features it supports, which may make it a more desirable networkto associate with than other networks that do not support the samefeatures.

In particular, the elements included with the hotspot capability 406 arelisted below in Table 9 and may include:

-   -   Secure Initial Authentication (also known as Online Sign-Up        (“OSU”)) capability may include a system in which a mobile        device that does not have a prior relationship with a service        provider is able to securely establish one. The user may select        a service provider to register with, either by choosing a        friendly name or icon. It is part of the WFA Hotspot 2.0        specification.    -   Subscription provisioning may include the credential mechanisms        that are required for associating with a network together with        related metadata. It may include user entered information or the        presence of a SIM card. Provisioning may include the        configuration of a device and include enabling and disabling        features.    -   Policy provisioning may refer to the policies that a device or        network utilizes.    -   Open Mobile Alliance (“OMA”)/Simple Object Access Protocol        (“SOAP”)-Extensible Markup Language (“XML”) are protocols for        exchanging information in networks.    -   Managed object may refer to the network resources that are        managed. For example, operation, administration, maintenance,        and provisioning application protocols may be used to manage        resources in a telecommunications environment.    -   Open Mobile Alliance (“OMA”) device management is a protocol for        the management of mobile devices that include support for        provisioning, configuration, upgrades, and fault management.

In one embodiment, the hotspot capability 406 may be implemented in atleast two ways: 1) hotspot capability 406 may be a new IEEE 802.11 ANQPelement; and 2) hotspot capability 406 may be a new WFA Hotspot element.These two exemplary implementations will be described below. Additionalembodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the hotspot capability 406 may be a new IEEE 802.11ANQP element. The new element may include capabilities that were part ofthe WFA Hotspot 2.0 specification. The hotspot capability 406 mayinclude a list of potential capabilities, such as online sign-up,subscription provisioning, policy provisioning, or XML protocols asdiscussed above. The information identification (“Info ID”) field may bean identifier used within the IEEE 802.11 ANQP specification. A tableshowing the exemplary network information 120, including the hotspotcapability 406, and corresponding information ID's is shown in FIG. 7.The length may correspond to the length of the optional hotspotcapability sub-fields. In one embodiment, the length may reflect thenumber of hotspot capability sub-fields that are present.

Table 7 illustrates one embodiment for the hotspot capability 406element:

TABLE 7 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Hotspot Capability Format

In one implementation the format for each of the hotspot capabilitysub-fields includes a capability identifier and a capability version. Inother words, each of the hotspot capability fields from Table 7 includesan identifier (ID) and the capability version. In one example, theformat for the hotspot capability sub-fields is illustrated in Table 8:

TABLE 8 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Hotspot Capability Sub-Field Format

The hotspot capability ID may include the following exemplaryidentifiers as in Table 9:

TABLE 9 Hotspot Capability Identifiers (ID's) Entity Name Value Reserved0 Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) 1 Simple Object AccessProtocol - Extensible Markup 2 Language (SOAP-XML) Secure InitialAuthentication/Online Sign-up (OSU) 3 Subscription Provisioning 4 PolicyProvisioning 5 Managed Object (MO) 6 User Acceptance of Terms &Conditions 7 Certificate Enrollment Protocol 8In alternative embodiments, there may be additional, fewer, or differenthotspot capabilities that are included as part of the hotspot capability406.

The Hotspot Capability Version may a 16-octet field that contains thevalue of the version number of the Hotspot Capability, for example,“1.0.5”. This provides an indication of which version is supported inthe network. In alternative embodiments the Hotspot Capability Versionfield may not be present.

In a second example, the hotspot capability 406 may be a new WFA Hotspotelement. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspot wirelesscommunications standards. As described herein WFA Hotspot may refer tothe Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specifications.The new element in the WFA Hotspot for a hotspot capability 406 mayinclude Hotspot Capabilities as discussed above. In one embodiment, theformat of the Hotspot Capability 406 is illustrated in Table 10:

TABLE 10 WFA Hotspot Capability Format

The Hotspot Capability sub-fields may be similar to those illustrated inTable 8.

3GPP Capability

Third Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”) capability 408 is anotherexample of network information 120 provided in network discoverycommunications. 3GPP is a group of telecommunications companies thatcreated and maintain standards, such as the third-generation mobilephone system specification. 3GPP may include additional standards andspecifications that are maintained, such as Global System for MobileCommunications (“GSM”), and IP Multimedia Subsystem (“IMS”).

Certain elements related to 3GPP capabilities may be beneficial to awireless device prior to associating with a particular network. Inparticular, the 3GPP capability 408 that is communicated prior tonetwork connection may include information about what 3GPP capabilitiesa network has. The 3GPP capability 408 may be used by a wireless deviceto determine which capabilities that a particular network supports,which may be useful in selecting which network associate with. The 3GPPcapability 408 is included as part of the network information 120 thatis available from access points to a wireless device without associatingwith the network. Some networks may not be connected with a 3GPPnetwork, in which case the access point may respond to a request for3GPP capabilities with an error or null value.

Exemplary 3GPP capabilities include 1) Access Network Discovery andSelection Function (“ANDSF”) support; 2) IP Multimedia Subsystem (“IMS”)support; and/or 3) Generic Access Network (“GAN”) support. In otherwords, the 3GPP capability 408 may include an indication as to whether anetwork has support for ANDSF, IMS, or GAN in one embodiment. ANDSFsupport may relate generally to whether a device can discover non-3GPPaccess networks that may be used for data communications. In oneexample, ANDSF support may allow a wireless device or terminal todiscover a cost for connecting to a WLAN network supported by a mobileprovider or cellular network (e.g. T-Mobile or AT&T hotspots). ANDSFsupport may provide information about a cellular network through theWLAN network. Some IMS support may relate generally to whethermultimedia can be communicated using IMS. In one example, IMS allowsstreaming multimedia through a mobile or cellular network. The IMSsupport may allow a user to switch between a cellular/mobile networkwith a WLAN and maintain the streaming multimedia. GAN support mayrelate generally to whether mobile voice, data, and IMS applications canbe extended between networks.

In one embodiment, the 3GPP capability 408 may be implemented in atleast two ways: 1) 3GPP capability 408 may be a new IEEE 802.11 ANQPelement; or 2) 3GPP capability 408 may be a new WFA Hotspot element.These two exemplary implementations will be described below. Additionalembodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the 3GPP capability 408 may be a new IEEE 802.11ANQP element. The 3GPP capability 408 may include an info ID (e.g. FIG.7) and a length field. The length field may correspond to a length ofthe 3GPP entities that are included. The 3GPP entity fields maycorrespond to each capability that are included (e.g. support for ANDSF,IMS, and/or GAN). The 3GPP capability 408 may also include a versionthat refers to the particular 3GPP release that the capability conformsto. In one embodiment, the 3GPP capability 408 may be formatted as inTable 10:

TABLE 10 IEEE 802.11 ANQP 3GPP Capability Format

Each of the 3GPP entity fields may include an entity identifiersub-field as well as a 3GPP entity version field as in Table 11:

TABLE 11 IEEE 802.11 ANQP 3GPP Entity Sub-Field Format

The 3GPP entity ID may include a value for each 3GPP entity that ispresent in the 3GPP network. In one embodiment, the 3GPP entity ID's maybe assigned as in Table 12:

TABLE 12 IEEE 802.11 ANQP 3GPP Entity ID's Entity Name Value Reserved 0Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) 1 IP MultimediaSubsystem (IMS) 2 Generic Access Network (GAN) 3The 3GPP Entity Version is a 16-octet field that contains the value ofthe version number of the 3GPP Entity, for example, “Rel 5.6.9”. Thisprovides an indication of which version is supported in the network. Inalternative embodiments the 3GPP Entity Version field may not bepresent.

In a second example, the 3GPP capability 408 may be a new WFA Hotspotelement. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspot wirelesscommunications standards. As described herein WFA Hotspot may refer tothe Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specifications.The new element in the WFA Hotspot for a 3GPP capability 408 may include3GPP capabilities as discussed above. In one embodiment, the format ofthe 3GPP capability 408 is illustrated in Table 13:

TABLE 13 WFA Hotspot 3GPP Capability Format

The 3GPP Entity sub-fields may be similar to those illustrated in Table11.

Mobility Capability

Mobility capability 410 is another example of network information 120provided in network discovery communications. The mobility capability410 may include mobility protocols or entities that may be communicatedabout a network before associating with that network. The Mobilitycapability 410 information may be used to inform a wireless device aboutcertain mobility protocols that a network may or may not use. Whether anetwork communicates with certain mobility protocols may be used duringnetwork discovery when a wireless device is selecting a network toassociate with. Accordingly, mobility capability 410 may be communicatedduring network discovery (e.g. with ANQP) before associating with anetwork.

Examples of the mobility capability 410 include Columbia, mobileinternet protocol (“IP”), cellular IP, hierarchical mobile IP (“HMIP”),fast mobile IP (“FMIP”), general packet radio service (“GPRS”) tunnelingprotocol (“GTP”), and proxy mobile IP version 6 (“PMIPv6”). Columbia mayrefer to a micro-mobility suite and whether communications may occurwith that software. Mobile IP may be a protocol for transferring aconnection between networks using an anchored/tethered internet protocol(“IP”) address. For example, voice calls may be passed between networksusing the mobile IP protocol. Cellular IP may be used to allow seamlessIP mobility between different packet data serving node domains.Hierarchical mobile IP (“HMIP”) is an enhancement of Mobile InternetProtocol (“Mobile IP”) that may reduce the amount of signaling requiredand to improve handoff speed for mobile connections. Fast mobile IP(“FMIP”) is a mobility protocol that is designed to improve a handoverbetween nodes. GTP is a group of IP-based communications protocols usedto carry General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”) within mobile or cellularnetworks. Proxy Mobile IPv6 (“PMIPv6”) is a network-based mobilitymanagement protocol standardized designed to be independent of mobilenetworks, while accommodating various access technologies. The above aremerely examples of mobility capabilities 410 that may be transmittedusing ANQP during network discovery. Additional mobility capabilitiesand protocols may be included with the mobility capabilities 140.

In one embodiment, the mobility capability 410 may be implemented in atleast two ways: 1) mobility capability 410 may be a new IEEE 802.11 ANQPelement; or 2) mobility capability 410 may be a new WFA Hotspot element.These two exemplary implementations will be described below. Additionalembodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the mobility capability 410 may be a new IEEE 802.11ANQP element. The mobility capability 410 may include an info ID (e.g.FIG. 7) and a length field. The length field may correspond to a lengthor number of the mobility protocols that are included. The mobilityprotocols may correspond to each capability that is included. In oneembodiment, the mobility capability 410 may be formatted as in Table 14:

TABLE 14 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Mobility Capability Format

Each of the mobility protocol fields may include a protocol identifiersub-field as well as a mobility protocol version field as in Table 15:

TABLE 15 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Mobility Sub-Field Format

The mobility protocol ID may include a value for each mobility protocolthat is supported by the network. In one embodiment, the mobilityprotocol ID's may be assigned as shown in Table 16:

TABLE 16 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Mobility Protocol ID's Entity Name ValueReserved 0 Columbia 1 Mobile IP 2 Cellular IP 3 HMIP 4 Fast Mobile IP(FMIP) 5 GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) 6 Proxy Mobile IP version 6(PMIPv6) 7The Mobility Protocol Version is a 16-octet field that may include thevalue of the version number of the Mobility Protocol, for example,“v1.2”. This may provide an indication of which version is supported inthe network. In alternative embodiments the Mobility Protocol Versionfield may not be present.

In a second example, the mobility capability 410 may be a new WFAHotspot element. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspotwireless communications standards. As described herein WFA Hotspot mayrefer to the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0specifications. The new element in the WFA Hotspot for a mobilitycapability 410 may include mobility protocols as discussed above. In oneembodiment, the format of the mobility capability 410 is illustrated inTable 17:

TABLE 17 WFA Hotspot Mobility Protocol Format

The Mobility Protocol sub-fields may be similar to those illustrated inTable 15.

Device Identification

Device identification 412 is another example of network information 120provided in network discovery communications. A type of station (“STA”)may be identified with the device identification 412. STA may refer toeither side of a network, including wireless devices, terminals, andaccess points. In particular, a WLAN terminal may be informed about atype of STA or wireless device that it receives an ANQP response from.The WLAN terminal may utilize different capability differences betweenthe STAs that are attempting to communicate with it. The deviceidentification 412 may include a type of device, and the communicationof device type may determine the communication with that device. Thedevice identification 412 may include identification information about anetwork provider (e.g. access point 104 a) as well as an end user device(e.g. wireless device 114). In other words, the device identification412 may identify types of devices on both ends of network communication.

In one embodiment, the device identification 412 may be implemented inat least two ways: 1) device identification 412 may be a new IEEE 802.11ANQP element; or 2) device identification 412 may be a new WFA Hotspotelement. These two exemplary implementations will be described below.Additional embodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the device identification 412 may be a new IEEE802.11 ANQP element. The device identification 412 may include an infoID (e.g. FIG. 7) and a length field. The length field may correspond toa length or number of the STA identifications that are included. The STAidentifications may correspond to each type of device that isidentified. In one embodiment, the device identification 412 may beformatted as in Table 18:

TABLE 18 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Device Identification Format

The STA identification sub-field may be formatted as shown in Table 19:

TABLE 19 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Device Identification Sub-Field Format

The STA identification sub-field may include a set of bits (e.g. b0-b15for a 16-bit field) that correspond to available types of STA's. Thebits of the STA identification sub-field may each correspond to aparticular device or STA as shown in Table 20:

TABLE 20 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Device Identification Sub-Field Bits STAidentification Bit Reserved 0 non-AP STA 1 AP 2 QoS AP 3 QoS STA 4 HTSTA 5 VHT STA 6 60 GHz STA 7 MESH STA 8 Dependant STA 9 Enabling STA 10 Reserved 11-15

The non-AP STA bit and AP STA bit refer to whether a STA is an accesspoint or not. Since a STA can be either a wireless device/terminal or anaccess point, the non-AP STA and AP bits identify whether a STA is or isnot an access point. The quality of service (“QoS”) bits identifies QoSstations or access points. High throughput (“HT”) and very highthroughput (“VHT”) identify stations based on the operating speed. The60 gigahertz (“GHz”) STA identifies stations that operate at the 60 GHzfrequency. The Mesh STA identifies stations that can operate in a meshnetwork environment. A mesh environment may not have specific accesspoints and end terminals, since all STA in the mesh are autonomouslyconnected throughout the network. The Dependant STA identifies a stationthat is dependant upon an enabling STA for channel and band informationas may be found in “White Spaces” operation. The Enabling STA identifiesa station that is capable of receiving channel and band information outof band (e.g., it can connect to a channel database through anothermedia).

In a second example, device identification 412 may be a new WFA Hotspotelement. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspot wirelesscommunications standards. As described herein WFA Hotspot may refer tothe Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specifications.The new element in the WFA Hotspot for device identification 412 mayinclude station identification types as discussed above. In oneembodiment, the format of the device identification 412 is illustratedin Table 21:

TABLE 21 WFA Hotspot Device Identification Format

The STA identification sub-fields may be similar to those illustrated inTable 20.

Multi-BSSID Information

Multi-BSSID information 414 is another example of network information120 provided in network discovery communications. A basic service set(“BSS”) is a set of all stations that can communicate with each other.Each BSS has an identifier (“ID”) called the BSSID, which is the MACaddress of the access point servicing the BSS. Multi-BSSID allows forcommunication of information from multiple access points or hotspots inone area, that have some form of intercommunication. In particular,multi-BSSID information 414 may be communicated using a single ANQPmessage (either defined in IEEE 802.11, WFA Hotspot 2.0 or within thisdocument) before associating with a network and provide details onmultiple access points or hotspots.

The multi-BSSID information 416 may be used for identifying a pluralityof information about many access networks associated with a particularWLAN, not just the one it is connected to. Typical WLAN access pointsmay be physically implemented as multiple logical access points. Themulti-BSSID information request allows another single ANQP request(either defined in IEEE 802.11, WFA Hotspot 2.0 or within this document)to be sent to an access point. If that access point is one of multipleaccess points or hotspots in one area, that have some form ofintercommunication between them, this message may allow all theinformation from those multiple access points to be returned within theMulti-BSSID response. In other words, information about multiple logicalaccess points can be received using a single multi-BSSID message.

The multi-BSSID information 416 may relay a specific ANQP request fromone wireless terminal (or station (“STA”)), through a single accesspoint, to determine information from neighboring STAs or terminals. Forexample, a list of the venue names of neighboring STAs may be returned.The multi-BSSID request may comprise the Info ID for “Multi-BSSID”(e.g., 278) followed by the Info ID for “Venue Name” (e.g. 258). TheVenue Name ANQP message may be as defined in IEEE 802.11. This ANQPrequest may be sent to a single access point, and instead of directlyresponding with the venue name of itself, the access point forwards therequest to all its neighboring STAs that it has a connection with. Foreach response from its neighbors, the access point may provide a“Multi-BSSID Information sub-field” within the final response (asdescribed in Table 23). This mechanism may also apply to virtual logicalaccess points housed in one physical access point unit. Securityconcerns may limit certain information from passing from one logical STAdomain to another. If the information cannot be determined then suitableerror codes may be passed back to the originating STA.

In one embodiment, the multi-BSSID information 416 may be implemented inat least two ways: 1) multi-BSSID information 416 may be a new IEEE802.11 ANQP element; or 2) multi-BSSID information 416 may be a new WFAHotspot element. These two exemplary implementations will be describedbelow. Additional embodiments may include different implementations.

In a first example, the multi-BSSID information 416 may be a new IEEE802.11 ANQP element. The ANQP multi-BSSID information 416 may includeinformation about the neighboring STAs based on a specific ANQP element(“AE”). In one embodiment, the format of the multi-BSSID information 416is shown in Table 22:

TABLE 22 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Multi-BSSID Information Format

The information identification (“Info ID”) field may be an identifierused within the IEEE 802.11 ANQP information identifier definitions. Atable showing the exemplary network information 120 and correspondinginformation ID's is shown in FIG. 7. The Length field may be a 2-octetfield that is equal to the length of the optional ANQP BSSID informationsub-fields. One embodiment of the ANQP BSSID information sub-fields isshown in Table 23:

TABLE 23 IEEE 802.11 ANQP Multi-BSSID Information Sub-Field Format

The service set identifier (“SSID”) element is an identifier of aparticular WLAN. The SSID element may include a field length indicationthat establishes the length of the SSID. In one example, the SSID may beup to 32 characters. The basic service set identifier (“BSSID”) elementmay identify a basic service set (“BSS”). In one example, the SSID maybe used in multiple or even overlapping BSSs. The BSSID may be the MediaAccess Control (“MAC”) address of the access point. The ANQP element(“AE”) field may be a variable length field, containing any other AE. Inalternative embodiments, elements from other advertisement protocols maybe used.

In a second example, multi-BSSID information 416 may be a new WFAHotspot element. A new element may be included in the WFA Hotspotwireless communications standards. As described herein WFA Hotspot mayrefer to the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot or Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0specifications. The new element in the WFA Hotspot for multi-BSSIDinformation 416 may include SSID, BSSID, and ANQP elements as discussedabove. In one embodiment, the format of the multi-BSSID information 416is illustrated in Table 24:

TABLE 24 WFA Hotspot Multi-BSSID Information Format

In one embodiment, the format of the Hotspot BSSID Information sub-fieldis shown in Table 25:

TABLE 25 WFA Hotspot Multi-BSSID Information Sub-Field Format

The Hotspot 2.0 element (“HE”) field is a variable length field that maycontain any other Hotspot 2.0 element as defined in WFA Hotspot 2.0 orother Hotspot specifications. Elements from other advertisementprotocols may also be used.

FIG. 5 illustrates a wireless terminal 114 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.The wireless terminal 114 includes a processor 502 that may be used tocontrol the overall operation of the wireless terminal 114. Theprocessor 502 may be implemented using a controller, a general purposeprocessor, a digital signal processor, dedicated hardware, or anycombination thereof. The processor 502 may include a central processingunit, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor or othertype of processing device. The processor 502 may be a component in anyone of a variety of systems. For example, the processor 502 may be partof a standard personal computer or a workstation. The processor 502 maybe one or more general processors, digital signal processors,application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gatearrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits,combinations thereof, or other now known or later developed devices foranalyzing and processing data. The processor 502 may operate inconjunction with a software program, such as code generated manually(i.e., programmed).

The wireless terminal 114 also includes a terminal message generator 504and a terminal data parser 506. The terminal message generator 504 maygenerate network information discovery messages such as the discoveryrequest 116 and discover response 118 for communicating the networkinformation 120 from FIG. 1. The terminal data parser 506 may be used toretrieve network information from memory (e.g., random access memory510, etc.). For example, the terminal data parser 506 may retrievenetwork information 120 that is cached in the wireless terminal 114after receipt from a WLAN (e.g., the access networks 106 a-c of FIG. 1).

In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal message generator 504 andthe terminal data parser 506 are shown as separate from and connected tothe processor 502. In alternative embodiments, the terminal messagegenerator 504 and the terminal data parser 506 may be implemented in theprocessor 502 and/or in a wireless communication subsystem (e.g., awireless communication subsystem 518). The terminal message generator504 and the terminal data parser 506 may be implemented using anycombination of hardware, firmware, and/or software. For example, one ormore integrated circuits, discrete semiconductor components, and/orpassive electronic components may be used. For example, the terminalmessage generator 504 and the terminal data parser 506, or partsthereof, may be implemented using one or more circuits, programmableprocessors, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logicdevices, field programmable logic devices, etc.

The terminal message generator 504 and the terminal data parser 506, orparts thereof, may be implemented using instructions, code, and/or othersoftware and/or firmware, etc. stored on a machine accessible medium andexecutable by, for example, a processor (e.g., the processor 502). Theterminal message generator 504 or the terminal data parser 506 may bestored on or include a tangible storage medium or memory. For example,the terminal message generator 504 or the terminal data parser 506 maybe implemented in software stored on a memory that is executable by theprocessor 502. Alternatively, the terminal message generator 504 and/orthe terminal data parser 506 may be implemented in hardware withsoftware functions. The memory for storing software associated with theterminal message generator 504 and/or the terminal data parser 506 mayinclude, but is not limited to, computer readable storage media such asvarious types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, includingrandom access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory,electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasableread-only memory, flash memory, magnetic tape or disk, optical media andthe like. In one embodiment, the memory may include the random accessmemory 510 for the processor 502, or may be an external storage deviceor database for storing recorded ad or user data. Examples include ahard drive, compact disc (“CD”), digital video disc (“DVD”), memorycard, memory stick, floppy disc, universal serial bus (“USB”) memorydevice, or any other device operative to store ad or user data. Thememory is operable to store instructions executable by the processor502.

The wireless terminal 114 may include a FLASH memory 508, a randomaccess memory 510, and/or an expandable memory interface 512 coupledwith the processor 502. The FLASH memory 508 may store computer readableinstructions and/or data. In some embodiments, the FLASH memory 508and/or the RAM 510 may store the network information 120 from FIG. 1 andinstructions for communicating that network information 120. Theprocessor 502 may be coupled with the memory (e.g. the FLASH memory 508,or the RAM 510) for storing software instructions executable by theprocessor 502. The memory may include, but is not limited to, computerreadable storage media such as various types of volatile andnon-volatile storage media, including random access memory, read-onlymemory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmableread-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory,magnetic tape or disk, optical media and the like. The functions, actsor tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein may be performedby the programmed processor 502 executing the instructions stored in thememory. The functions, acts or tasks are independent of the particulartype of instruction set, storage media, processor or processing strategyand may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits,firm-ware, micro-code and the like, operating alone or in combination.Likewise, processing strategies may include multiprocessing,multitasking, parallel processing and the like.

The wireless terminal 114 may include a security hardware interface 514to receive a SIM card from a wireless service provider. A SIM card maybe used for network discovery communications including authentication ofthe wireless terminal 114 for establishing a connection with aWLAN-supported network. The wireless terminal 114 may be provided withan external data I/O interface 516. The external data I/O interface 516may be used by a user to transfer information to the wireless terminal114 through a wired medium.

The wireless terminal 114 may include wireless communication subsystem518 to enable wireless communications with access points (e.g., theaccess points 104 a-c of FIG. 1). Although not shown, the wirelessterminal 114 may also have a long-range communication subsystem toreceive messages from, and send messages to, a cellular wirelessnetwork. In the illustrated examples described herein, the wirelesscommunication subsystem 518 can be configured in accordance with theIEEE® 802.11 standard. In other example implementations, the wirelesscommunication subsystem 518 may be implemented using a BLUETOOTH® radio,a ZIGBEE® device, a wireless USB device, an ultra-wideband radio, a NearField Communications (“NFC”) device, or a Radio Frequency Identifier(“RFID”) device.

The wireless terminal 114 may include a user interface for communicatingwith the wireless terminal. The user interface may be separate componentor it may include a speaker 520, a microphone 522, a display 524, and auser input interface 526. The display 524 may be a liquid crystaldisplay, an organic light emitting diode, a flat panel display, a solidstate display, a cathode ray tube, a projector, a printer or other nowknown or later developed display device for outputting determinedinformation. The user input interface 526 may include alphanumerickeyboard and/or telephone-type keypad, a multi-direction actuator orroller wheel with dynamic button pressing capability, a touch panel,etc. The network discovery information that is communicated with anetwork prior to connection may be communicated with or without each ofthe user interfaces described herein. The speaker, 520, the microphone522, the display 524, the user input interface 526, and/or anycombination thereof may be omitted in alternative embodiments. In oneembodiment, the wireless terminal 114 is a battery-powered device andincludes a battery 528 and a battery interface 530.

FIG. 6 illustrates an access point (“AP”) 104 a. The access point shownin FIG. 6 is AP 104 a, but may also be illustrative of other accesspoints (e.g. access points 104 b, 104 c). AP 104 a includes a processor602 to perform operations of the AP 104 a. The processor 602 may besimilar to the processor 502 described above.

The AP 104 a includes an access point message generator 604 to generatenetwork information communications and an access point data parser 606for retrieving network information communications from the wirelessterminal 114 and/or the external network A 108 a as illustrated inFIG. 1. The access point message generator 604 may be similar to theterminal message generator 504 of FIG. 5, and the access point dataparser 606 may be similar to the terminal data parser 506 of FIG. 5. Aswith the terminal message generator 504 and the terminal data parser 506of FIG. 5, the access point message generator 604 and the access pointdata parser 606 may be implemented in software stored on a memory thatis executable by the processor 602 or may be implemented in hardwarewith software functions executed by the processor 602. Alternatively,the access point message generator 604 and the access point data parser606 may be implemented in a wireless communication subsystem (e.g., awireless communication subsystem 612) using any combination of hardware,firmware, and/or software including instructions stored on a tangiblecomputer readable medium and/or a non-transitory computer readablemedium.

The AP 104 a may also include a FLASH memory 608 and a RAM 610, both ofwhich are coupled to the processor 602. The FLASH memory 608 and/or therandom access memory (“RAM”) 610 may be configured to store networkinformation (e.g., network information 120 including discoverycommunications from FIG. 1). The RAM 610 may also be used to generatemessages for communication with the wireless terminal 114 and/or to theexternal network A 108 a. The RAM 610 may also store received messagescommunicated by the wireless terminal 114 and/or the external network A108 a.

To communicate with wireless terminals such as the wireless terminal114, the AP 104 a may include a wireless communication subsystem 612,which may be similar to the wireless communication subsystem 518 of thewireless terminal 114 illustrated in FIG. 5. To communicate with aWLAN-supported network or external network (e.g., the networks 106 a-c,108 a, and 108 b of FIG. 1), the AP 104 a may include a network uplinkcommunication interface 614.

FIG. 7 is a table of 802.11 ANQP information identifiers. The networkinformation 120 described above may be assigned identifiers (“IDs”)within the existing IEEE 802.11 ANQP information ID definitions. FIG. 7illustrates one embodiment of Information IDs that may be used for thenetwork information 120. In particular, WAN latency, 3GPP capability,mobility capability, hotspot capability, neighbor report, device (STA)identification, and multi-BSSID information are assigned informationIDs, examples of which are shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 is a table of Hotspot ANQP element subtype definitions. Thenetwork information 120 described above may be a subtype value withinthe existing Hotspot 2.0 ANQP elements. FIG. 8 illustrates oneembodiment of the subtype values that may be assigned for the networkinformation 120. In particular, WAN latency, 3GPP capability, mobilitycapability, hotspot capability, neighbor report, device (STA)identification, and multi-BSSID information are assigned subtype values,examples of which are shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 illustrates network communications. The wireless terminal 114requests 902 network information 120 from the access point 104. Asdiscussed, the network information 120 may include any of the elementsor features discussed with respect to FIG. 4. The access point 104responds 904 to the request with the requested network information 120.Communications during network discovery (request 902 and response 904)are above the discovery line 906, and communications after networkdiscovery are shown below the discovery line 906. In other words, therequest and response of network information 120 occur during networkdiscovery. Below the discovery line 906, the wireless terminal analyzesnetworks and selects 908 a network or access point to associate with910. Communications below the discovery line 906 are communicationspost-discovery upon connecting or associating with a network. Networkdiscovery may refer to the communications or messages that occur beforethe network is connected or associate with. In one embodiment, thediscovery communications may be according to the access network queryprotocol (“ANQP”), which establish discovery communications in WLANs.Any of the network information 120 that is described with respect toFIG. 4 may be communicated during network discovery. In alternativeembodiments, the request may originate from the access point 104 and theresponse may originate from the wireless terminal 114. For example, forthe device identification 412, the access point 104 may requestidentification from the wireless terminal 114.

The system and process described may be encoded in a signal bearingmedium, a computer readable medium such as a memory, programmed within adevice such as one or more integrated circuits, and one or moreprocessors or processed by a controller or a computer. If the methodsare performed by software, the software may reside in a memory residentto or interfaced to a storage device, synchronizer, a communicationinterface, or non-volatile or volatile memory in communication with atransmitter. A circuit or electronic device designed to send data toanother location. The memory may include an ordered listing ofexecutable instructions for implementing logical functions. A logicalfunction or any system element described may be implemented throughoptic circuitry, digital circuitry, through source code, through analogcircuitry, through an analog source such as an analog electrical, audio,or video signal or a combination. The software may be embodied in anycomputer-readable or signal-bearing medium, for use by, or in connectionwith an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. Such asystem may include a computer-based system, a processor-containingsystem, or another system that may selectively fetch instructions froman instruction executable system, apparatus, or device that may alsoexecute instructions.

A “computer-readable medium,” “machine readable medium,”“propagated-signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may compriseany device that includes, stores, communicates, propagates, ortransports software for use by or in connection with an instructionexecutable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium mayselectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device,or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of amachine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection“electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or opticaldisk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM”, aRead-Only Memory “ROM”, an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROMor Flash memory), or an optical fiber. A machine-readable medium mayalso include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as thesoftware may be electronically stored as an image or in another format(e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted orotherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in acomputer and/or machine memory.

In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, suchas application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arraysand other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or moreof the methods described herein. Applications that may include theapparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include avariety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodimentsdescribed herein may implement functions using two or more specificinterconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and datasignals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or asportions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, thepresent system encompasses software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, thedisclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for communicating in a wirelessnetwork comprising: transmitting, prior to a wireless device associatingwith a first access point (AP), a request from the wireless device tothe first access point (AP) for a neighbor report on any neighboringAPs, wherein any neighboring AP and the first AP comprise APs within asame basic service set (BSS) or a same extended service set (ESS); andreceiving at the wireless device, prior to the wireless deviceassociating with the first access point (AP), a response from the firstAP, wherein the response comprises the neighbor report on a neighboringAP and includes information describing the neighboring AP.
 2. The methodof claim 1 wherein the information describing the AP comprises anidentifier indicative of a BSS associated with the neighboring AP,reachability information indicative of whether the neighboring APindicated by the BSS is reachable by the wireless device that requestedthe neighbor report, and security information indicative of whether theneighboring AP supports a same security provisioning as utilized by thewireless device.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request and theresponse comprise access network query protocol (“ANQP”) messages. 4.The method of claim 3 wherein the ANQP messages are transmitted using anauthentication protocol.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein thetransmitting and receiving prior to the wireless device associating withthe first AP occurs during a network discovery operation of the wirelessdevice.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: comparing, at thewireless device, the information describing the neighboring AP withinformation describing the AP; and determining, at the wireless device,to associate with one of the first AP or the neighboring AP based on thecomparison.
 7. A method at a first access point (AP) associated with awireless local area network comprising: receiving, prior to associationof a wireless device with the first AP, a request at the AP from thewireless device for a neighbor report on any neighboring APs, whereinany neighboring AP and the first AP comprise APs within a same basicservice set (BSS) or a same extended service set (ESS); transmitting,prior to association of the wireless device with the first AP, aresponse from the first AP wherein the response comprises the neighborreport on a neighboring AP and includes information describing theneighboring AP.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the request and theresponse are communicated using an access network query protocol(“ANQP”).
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the neighbor report iscommunicated as an ANQP message that is transmitted using an extensibleauthentication protocol.
 10. The method of claim 7 wherein theinformation describing the neighboring AP comprises an identifierindicative of a BSS associated with the neighboring AP, reachabilityinformation indicative of whether the neighboring AP indicated by theBSS is reachable by the wireless device that requested the neighborreport, and security information indicative of whether the neighboringAP supports a same security provisioning as utilized by the wirelessdevice.
 11. A wireless device comprising: a processor interconnectedwith a memory, the processor configured to: transmit, prior to thewireless device associating with a first access point (AP), a requestfrom the wireless device to the first AP for a neighbor report on anyneighboring APs, wherein any neighboring AP and the first AP compriseAPs within a same basic service set (BSS) or a same extended service set(ESS); and receive at the wireless device, prior to the wireless deviceassociating with the first access point (AP), a response from the firstAP, wherein the response comprises the neighbor report on a neighboringAP and includes information describing the neighboring AP.
 12. Thewireless device of claim 11 wherein the information describing theneighboring AP comprises an identifier indicative of a BSS associatedwith the neighboring AP, reachability information indicative of whetherthe neighboring AP indicated by the BSS is reachable by the wirelessdevice that requested the neighbor report, and security informationindicative of whether the neighboring AP supports a same securityprovisioning as utilized by the wireless device.
 13. The wireless deviceof claim 11 wherein the request and the response comprise access networkquery protocol (“ANQP”) messages.
 14. The wireless device of claim 13wherein the ANQP messages are transmitted using an authenticationprotocol.
 15. The wireless device of claim 11 wherein the processor isfurther configured to: compare the information describing theneighboring AP with information describing the first AP; and determineto associate with one of the first AP or the neighboring AP based on thecomparison.
 16. A first access point (AP) associated with a wirelesslocal area network comprising: a processor interconnected with a memory,the processor configured to: receive, prior to association of a wirelessdevice with the first AP, a request at the AP from the wireless devicefor a neighbor report on any neighboring APs, wherein any neighboring APand the first AP comprise APs within a same basic service set (BSS) or asame extended service set (ESS); transmit, prior to association of thewireless device with the first AP, a response from the first AP whereinthe response comprises the neighbor report on a neighboring AP andincludes information describing the neighboring AP.
 17. The first AP ofclaim 16 wherein the information describing the neighboring AP comprisesan identifier indicative of a BSS associated with the neighboring AP,reachability information indicative of whether the neighboring APindicated by the BSS is reachable by the wireless device that requestedthe neighbor report, and security information indicative of whether theneighboring AP supports a same security provisioning as utilized by thewireless device.